Nelea Lupu had no idea what she was getting herself into when she agreed to lead the Moldova Citizen Participation Program (CPP) [6] project to renovate a senior citizens’ home in the western Moldovan city of Ungheni. Despite having minimal experience running such a home and even less experience with community development, Nelea threw herself into the project for the simple reason that no one else was willing to take the lead.
Before the project began, the Social Integration and Rehabilitation Center for Elderly Citizens slept nine people and provided care to 20 outpatients daily. Seniors had few opportunities to participate in social activities and the facility lacked the expertise and conditions necessary to serve the health needs of the seniors who frequented the facility. When Nelea met with IREX—administrator of the USAID-funded CPP—and presented the obstacles that stood in the way of success, they seemed insurmountable to her.
What followed were CPP-facilitated meetings and civic-education trainings that emphasized the transfer of practical skills and tools to ensure community-generated solutions to the challenges the home faced. Putting her training to use, Nelea worked closely with the home’s staff and beneficiaries, as well as local government and NGO representatives to solicit input on the project’s design and sustainability plans. Nelea learned that an important part of being a successful leader is engaging project stakeholders in decision-making and seeking opportunities to empower community members.
Now that the renovation project is complete, the facility has doubled its capacity to accommodate both in- and out-patients, has the equipment and sanitary conditions to properly treat the seniors, and the staff have dramatically improved their knowledge about administration, even constructing a greenhouse with older windows that had been replaced at a recently renovated kindergarten (also through CPP). The seniors’ greenhouse will give them an opportunity to try their hands at gardening while supplying the home with vegetables year round.
When asked about the impact the process has had on her, Nelea responded: “I met with numerous personal challenges, which included the fear of failure, lack of experience, and distrust of some community members. While leading this project, I gained so much—the respect of my family and community and an opportunity for personal and professional growth.” Today, Nelea has been promoted to the position of manager at the senior-citizens home, while she also studies at the local law school. Nelea is precisely the kind of leader who will continue to use her new confidence to incorporate change in her community and encourage activism. CPP gives such leaders the tools necessary to fulfill their community commitments and ambitions.
